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The Commoner.
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VOLUME 8, NUMBER 50
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love said (quoted from memory) "that force
is the hammer which can break a block of ice
into a thousand pieces but leaves each piece still
ice, while love is the ray of sunlight which,
though acting more slowly and silently, melts
the ice."
At this season of the year our thoughts turn
to the contemplation of the new degree of love
revealed to the world by Jesus. To the love
between members of the family and love be
tween friends He added ah all-pervading love
that includes every member of the human race.
Even enemies are not beyond the bounds of
this love, for man's puny arms are not strong
enough to break the bonds that unite each
son of God to all his brethren. "Love is not
stupid," says Tolstoy. It makes known to us
our duty to our fellows and it will some day .
rule the world. Force is the weapon of the
animal in us; after it comes money, which the
intellect employs, sometimes for good, some
times for harm. But greater than all is love,
the weapon of tho heart. It is a sword that never
rusts, neither does it break and the wounds that
It leaves are live-saving, not life-destroying. No
armor can withstand it and no antagonist can
resist it. But why try to define this love or
to measure its scope? Paul, the apostle, in his
first epistle to the Corinthians describes it in
language to which nothing can be added and
from which nothing can be taken. Let liis
words suffice:
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels, but have not love, I am become sounding
brass or clanging cymbal. And if I have the
gift of prophecy, and know all the mysteries,
and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so
ag to remove mountains, but have not love,
I jam .nothing. And if I bestow all my goods
to feed-the poor, and if I give my body to be
burned, but have not love, it profiteth me noth
ing. Love sufferoth long, and is kind; love
envieth not; love vaunteth hot itself, is not
puffed up, doth not behave itsell! unseemly,
seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not
account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteous
ness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all
things; believeth all things, hopeth all things,
ondureth all things. Love never faileth; but
whether there be prophecies, they shall be done
away; whether there be tongues, they shall
cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be
done away with. For we know in poTt and we
prophesy in part, but when that which is per
fect is come, that which is in part shall be
done away. When' I was a child, I spake as a
child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child;
now that I am become a man I have put away
childish things. For now wo see In a mirror,
darkly; but then face to face; now I know in
part; then shall I know even as also I have
been known. But now ablddth faith, hope; love,
these three; and the greatest of these' is love."
PRESIDENT OVERSTEPS THE LIMIT
President, Roosevelt has sent to congress
a mteBsagewhichrannounces a new and danger
oug'Ulo'ctrlneV It is the duty of every publisher
-and iof every believer in free speech and a free
press to resent the president's attempt to use
the 'government to terrorize those who would
criticise the action of public officials. No official
can .claim exemption from criticism merely be
cause he is an official, and no act of the govern
ment is so sacred that the humblest citizen may
not express an adverse opinion upon it. It is
a matter of little consequence whether the
charges made by the World are true or false
that can be determined by a suit at law in the
ordinary way but it is a matter of great im
portance that every editor and every other in
dividual shall be free to express his opinion on
any subject connected with public affairs The
World demands an Investigation of the Panama
purchase and it is for congress to determine
whether tho investigation shall be made The
fact that the president thinks no investigation
Is necessary is immaterial. If a law is passed
-which requires the president's concurrence he
can sign or voto it that is his constitutional
right. If upon receiving his veto the house
and senate approve of the measure by
a two-thirds voto, the measure according
to the constitution becomes a law in
spijte of the president. Insofar as the Benate
and house can constitutionally act without tho
president's concurrence, they are at liberty to
do so without consulting him or in spite of any
thing he says. Insofar as either house has a
right to investigate, it can do so whether he
approves or not. An Investigation is' the best
method of bringing out tho facts and if there
has been misrepresentation the president ought
' to Urge investigatifcn rather than oppose it.
But his proposition that the government
can institute libel proceedings against an indi
vidual or a paper for criticism of the govern
ment's action is not only a new doctrine but an
extremely objectionable one. If any individual
has been libeled, he has his action at law. If
tho individual concerned does not see fit to
prosecute his remedy the government can not
become his champion.
The Panama purchase was made by the
administration in pursuance of an act of con
gress. If any improper influence was brought
to bear upon senators or members to secure
the passage of the purchase act, the public has
a right to know it and any senator or congress
man wrongfully charged with being improperly
influenced can resort to the court to enforce his
legal remedies. If any individual is wrongfully
charged with "bringing improper influence to bear
upon a senator or congressman, he can bring an
action to protect his name and his honor. The
president says that the execution of the purchase
act was in the hands of Attorney General Knox
and that he (the president) approved of every
thing that Mr. Knox did. If either the president
or Mr. Knox is charged with improper conduct,
the courts are open to them, but the president
can not use the attorney general to punish those
who criticise him, Senator Knox or any other
official. Whatever offense the World has com
mitted If it has committed an offense is not
against the government but against individuals
who have temporarily acted for the government
or against individuals who are accused of bring
ing improper influence to bear upon officials.
Mr. Pulitzer is on solid ground when he re
sists the president's attempt to convert news
paper criticism of officials into a criticism against
the government itself. The president's message
is indefensible insofar as it asserts the right of
the government to prosecute the World or Mr.
Pulitzer, and he will find that he has overstepped
tho limits of his authority ,if he attempts to use'
the attorney general's office in the way that he
has proposed. The president is not the' gov
ernment; a criticism of him is not a criticism
of , the government.
"THE PRINQE OF PEACE"
At the beginning of the campaign Mr.
Bryan refused to allow the committee to cjr-,
culate his lecture entitled "The Prince of Peace,"
but later when the republican committee circu
lated, as a campaign document, Mr. Taft's ad
dress on missions, and Mr. Taft nimself began
making Sunday speeches at churches and before
,,,M:,C A meetings, Mi Bryan withdrew his
objection, and "The Prince of Peace" was sent
out when asked for.
Rev. J. F. Nugent, of Ues Moines, Iowa,
f so. mucn interested in the circulation of
The Prince of Peace" that he -wrote a preface
to it, and sent out a number of copies to his
friends. In another column -will be found Father
Nugent's introduction. As the readers of The
Commoner have read the lecture itself, they mav
bo interested in Father Nugent's comment
upon it.
THEN GIVE IT A JtEST
In an address delivered at a b.anquet in
Chicago John Pierpont Morgan said that this
country "now needs a rest.". If Mr. Morgan imd '
other representatives of special Interests will
give ttie country this much needed rest alon
suffering people will be grateful. g
V V W v
THE SULTAN STEPS FORWARD
A new constitutional government has been
inaugurated in Turkey, and the first parliament
under this constitution has just convened Tho
Bultan proceeded from his palace to 'the parlia
ment hall amid shouts and cheers. Never wore
the streets so crowded before, the dispatches ari- '
nounce; ambassadors and foreign ministers were
given hearty receptions, and everything ..,
off without a jar. The sultan saysy hate nro
claimed a constitution thirty-two years aen Dw
found such difficulties in the wav tw i?f ' bUt
pended it temporarily, and he declares thVhS
s now heartily glad to restore it and Jw L
is definitely and unalterablTcommitteri thS
and joins the constitutional procession. TurW
. the most backward of all the countries S
Europe, has now abandoned the doctrine of un
limited monarchy. Our congress ought to C
a congratulatory resolution. Now that the suit
has ceased to govern without a constitution the
republican leaders may consider the advisability
of giving the Filipinos a constitution. y
e& tw t V
POSTAL SAVINGS BxVNKS
It is to be hoped' that the democrats in the
senate and house will assist in the passage of
the measure providing for the postal savings
bank. The democratic platform gave a condi
tional endorsement to this plan, declaring for
it if the guaranteed bank could not be secured
and as it is the only measure that can possibly
pass during the next four years, the people
ought to be given the benefit of it. The demo
crats ought to endeavor to perfect the republi
can measure by such amendments as may re
move its objectionable features. The deposit
limit, for Instance, ought to be raised so that
a larger number of persons can take advantage
of the savings bank, and deposit larger sums,
and the community ought to be protected by a
provision compelling the government to loan
the money to the bank or banks nearest to the
place of deposit. No discrimination should be
permitted as to banks. The security ought to
be fixed and then all local banks, state and na
tional, be given their share of deposits, propor
tioned according to capital stock.
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WHY THIS DISCRIMINATION?
The New York Tribune printed a dispatch,
from its Washington correspondent explaining,
in detail, the White House threat that if con
gress censures Mr. Roosevelt for the charges in
his message "he will he compelled to show rela
tionships between certain members and certain
large interests which made necessary some in
vestigation by the secret service."
Calling the Tribune dispatch "semi-official"
the New York World makes the following point
ed inquiries:
'If this is how the secret service was used,
why were its extra-legal activities restricted to
members of congress? "" ' '
' "Why did no secret service man shadow
Theodore Roosevelt and Edward H. Harriman
while they arranged the details of the $260,000
campaign contribution which Mr. Harriman
boasted 'turned 50,000 votes .in New York?'
"Why did no secret service man follow
George B Cortelyou while he was collecting a
Roosevelt campaign fund from trusts and cor
porations which it had been his . duty as secre
tary of commerce to 'Investigate?
"Why was no secret service man on the
heels of Mr. Roosevelt's campaign-fund assessor
when $100,000 was collected from the Standard
Oil company and $150,000 from the great life
insurance companies?
"Possibly it was an oversight on Mr. Roose
velt's part that no secret service men were as
signed to spy upon his own peculiar 'relation
ships' with ..'certain large interests.' "
&&
A QUESTION
'If 'there isn't any Santa Glaus, who is it turns
. ,your leet ,.,
Toward the Bhop where gifts are smiling as you
walk along the street?
Who Is it sets you thinking, though you're busy
as can be,
About the songs and laughter, 'round the child
ren's Christmas tree?
Though you vow "this Christmas .business is a
nuisance, anyhow,"
There's an influence at work, that clears the
frowning from your brow;
The small tin trumpet sounds a "blast that wakes
' your soul serene
To homage for tho doll who 'is! a-lady and a
queen, . " ' '. ' '"
And the once prosaic world where' it has been
: your lot to dwell .
Is a realm of' fascinations neath"some mystic
fairy spell!" ' .- " '
If there isn't any Santa Clauswho is it, day by
day, ' ' . :
That turns our thoughts to Christmas, strive to
shun it' as we may; ' '.
Who comes at. this bleak fcoasonHarmed with
' telepathic arts'' ' '
And by generous suggestion ddminates our mind3
-' and hearts ?lc "i. " ,r i .?of
i Washington Star.
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